Prefinished hardwood is hardwood flooring which is finished by manufacturer. It goes in carton boxes, which prevent it from scratching during the transportation. Prefinished hardwood goes in different sizes and with different stain options. In general you will have limited amount of stains to choose from, but considering huge number of manufacturers, you will be able to pick the one you like. In general, prefinished hardwood has one or two options for the finish shine and in most of the cases it's semi-gloss. Only few manufacturers will be able to provide you with an option of gloss or satin finish you might like better. You're also limited with the finish type, because manufacturers of prefinished hardwood use some sort of mix of water and oil based finish. By adding oil-based finish they can add warmer color to the floor and then they apply couple more water-based coats to increase hardwood durability and add UV-protection to it. Some manufacturers use straight water-based finish. Nowadays different manufacturers try to create tons of different material options in order to eliminate these problems. Although they cannot do anything to remove tiny gaps which appear between boards whenever hardwood is installed.